The New Gold Rush: Loggers See Money Growing on Millions of Dead Trees
Washington Post (February 6, 2017)

California is in the middle of a $50 million effort to get rid of tens of thousands of dead trees that threaten roads, power lines and homes. Loggers from across the country are flocking to the state in search of a huge payday from tree-removal companies under contract with the state and a few private firms.

“They’re coming from Iowa, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania,” Smith said. “They tend to be young, people in really good shape — climbing trees, using chain saws six or seven days a week. It’s been rather fascinating. It’s been quite an experience.”

As the number of dead trees grew, so did the tree-cutters. They started arriving in a trickle in 2015, when the U.S. Forest Service counted 66 million dead trees. After the mortality skyrocketed to more than 100 million trees and Gov. Jerry Brown (D) attached tens of millions of dollars to an emergency order last year, loggers started arriving in droves.

At least a half-dozen public and private agencies are offering money to clear them away to be used as biofuel or as chips for emergency offramps that help slow runaway trucks.

The California Department of Transportation allocated $11 million to slice away massive trees before they keel over onto two key roads, in an attempt to keep them from blocking busy traffic headed to and from Yosemite or killing a motorist.

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